I refused to try hard at looking nice for the Capitol who as far as I could remember made everyone's lives hell apart from their own. It's true that my district wasn't anything like the lower districts but it didn't mean that they'd been exactly good to us either.

My hate had begun no surprise when they cut off my mothers tongue for attempting to interfere with the punishment of a five year old little boy for bumping into a peacekeeper. However they had not taken her away straight away, leaving her with a limited amount of time to spend with us that Finch and I had no idea about. She avoided people for two years (maybe hoping they'd forgotten?) and stayed at home until one day the peacekeepers just came around and dragged her out by the hair, thrashing as trying to yell.

It had been six years since I last saw her. Lucky enough however, one of the hunger games mentors for our district comes around a often to tell me how she's been after seeing her whilst mentoring the new tributes each year and traveling to other districts on the train for festivals and tours.

"Well," I began sarcastically, "at least if I'm chosen I'll get to see her again."

Across the room I saw Finch giving me a strange look, "what?"

I shook my head and went back to plaiting the parts either side of my hair and tying them at the back, letting the rest of my red hair fall freely just past my shoulders.

I secured them with clamp-like accessory my mother gave to me that she called an alligator clip. Silver flowers embedded with gemstones decorated it beautifully and I almost always wore it. Finch wore her matching one in her hair too with the exception of sapphire gems instead of emerald. The end was sharp and I was careful to avoid scratching myself.

Finch and I disliked wearing dresses so we wore matching blouses that were nice enough for the occasion and flowing to our thighs where we wore tight-like pants that went to our ankles. The material was thin and black and went nicely with the matching black sandals.

"Why are you so pretty?" Finch smiled at me from the other side of the room.

I walked over laughing and flicked her, "because you are silly."

"You girls are crazy," my father smiled from where he leant against the doorframe.

I saw Finch's mouth open to reply when we were unpleasantly interrupted.

"Attention people of District 5. The reaping will commence in 10 minutes. All citizens who do not leave their residence now will suffer the consequences," A low voice echoed throughout the house and I felt my blood turn cold as all the happiness from a moment ago left me.

I barely had the time to reach for the locket engraved with a fox that held a picture of my mother, father and sister and the only one we had.

"Come on," my father gave us a grimace and we followed him reluctantly out the door.